Purson and Ghost at Terminal 5 In New York City

One of the things that initially attracted me to the music industry was the serendipity this whole thing can have. Such was the case Sunday night when just as I was about to take the train to go see Abigail Williams and I got a phone call. Suddenly, against all the odds I was on the list to see perhaps the single most talked about rock band of the last decade. Ghost's immortal power had reached out and dragged me back, right into the heart of darkness that defined this bands wonderfully fucked up magic.

Of course I would be totally remiss if I didn't initially talk about Purson, Ghost's incredible opening band - rapidly rising and gloriously psychedelic these freaked out rock and rollers invoke  the power of the 70s but give it a modern touch. Their set was powerful and moody, carrying the listener on a roller coaster of emotion and showing the inherent magic of the music. There is something truly special about Purson - a sort of primal rock and roll energy that comes through in their distinct aesthetic and potent sound. You get the sense that this band is reaching the boiling point and with an exciting new release on the way... the time may have finally come for this band to explode.

Then the hour came for Ghost. I looked around me, onto the chanting masses and saw a crowd that in many ways reflect middle America. Ghost don't just cater to black metal dudes anymore. You see nu-metal fans gathered around, talking about Papa Roach shows - as well as hipsters who think Deafheaven is pretty revolutionary. Hell - Ghost have become so omnipresent that even the almighty Papa's mother decided to come to the show! The point is - Ghost reflect how much America has changed, and though they may be the perfect band to piss off your parents, they also have come to be embraced by crowds of more than just metalheads across the globe and this is wonderfully exciting.

When Ghost finally did take the stage I was utterly stunned by their stellar presentation and the crowds interaction. It felt like everyone knew every word, even to the new songs. It spoke to the eternal power of rock and roll that we could all be united across generations crying out praises to the almighty Lord Satan. In their relatively few years of doing this Ghost have rapidly become some of the most potent performers out there and the more you dig into their live performance the harder it becomes to separate yourself from the bands over the top ghoulishness and strange charisma. When Papa Emeritus turns his gaze upon you you feel it penetrating your soul - and it is glorious. This is what heavy metal was always meant to be.

And so the night came to an end and the dark masses spread out onto the city - now fully cloaked in the ethereal and satanic might of one of the most interesting bands in the world. Ghost are impossible to fully define, these Swedish masters are reshaping rock and roll though - that much is impossible to deny. The fact remains - the Black To The Future tour may very well be one of those tours that goes down in history as a turning point in rock music - the revolution is coming and I get the impression that Ghost are at the fore.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Purson: https://www.facebook.com/pursontheband?fref=ts

Ghost: https://www.facebook.com/thebandghost?fref=ts